When the stars get set in the starting blocks for the 100-metre dash at the Edmonton International Track Classic (EITC), they’ll be staring down the track to the finish line, knowing they have only mere seconds to deliver a performance worthy of this world-class field.

Meanwhile, the organizers of the EITC know they too have a small window of time to do what they do best and prove they are worthy of world-class status.

The annual athletics meet will take place June 29 at Foote Field, under the watchful eye of a delegate from the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), which is considering adding the EITC to its World Challenge circuit. The delegate will report to the IAAF with a recommendation whether the EITC should join the World Challenge, an exclusive global series of one-day athletics competitions that serves as the second-tier of IAAF events, below only the Diamond League.

"For us, it would be like going from the WHL to NHL,” says Athletics Alberta Executive Director Peter Ogilvie, who serves as meet director.

The IAAF representative will assess the quality of everything at the EITC from competition and participants to management and hospitality, says Ogilvie, though perhaps the most important factor will be community involvement.

“We really need … Edmontonians to come out and help us put on a fantastic meet, and show your support,” he says.

Based on the recommendation, an IAAF board will vote whether to add Edmonton to the World Challenge, which currently includes 14 events across all six populated continents. Edmonton would be the only city in Canada or the United States on the circuit.

"My personal hope would be as early as 2014 we’d be included in that group,” Ogilvie says.

The EITC is pulling out all the stops with a stacked lineup featuring more than 40 athletes from the 2012 London Olympics, 20 of which are Canadian and over half a dozen that won medals. Reigning World Champions Yohan Blake (men’s 100-metre, 4×100-metre relay), Jason Richardson (men’s 110-metre hurdles), and Sanya Richard-Ross (women’s 4×400-metre relay) are all competing at the EITC as they prepare to defend their titles at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow in August.

“We’re treating this very seriously,” says Ogilvie. “From the overall depth of the (meet) … there’s no weak event. Every event will be an outstanding stellar field. We’ve got some amazing world class athletes."

Earlier plans for the EITC to be shown live on CBC television in the first of a four-year broadcast agreement have been delayed until 2014, leaving more time to sort out sponsorship and marketing.

"The set-up is pretty much ready to for intentional broadcast in 2014, and we’ll be following that playbook in putting on the (2013) event,” says Ogilvie. “We have the JumboTron there, we have cameras, the only thing we don’t have is the signal that would be required for broadcast.”

The EITC debuted in 2010. The meet was rained out in 2011, before bouncing back with a star-studded, well-attended meet last year that was temporarily renamed the Donovan Bailey Invitational.

The IAAF also had a delegate here in 2012, and the fact they’re back on more serious business speaks volumes.

"Edmonton has a very good reputation,” Ogilvie says. “Hosting the (World Championships) in 2001 certainly helps make people want to come back here.

“We just need to do all the little things right, we need the athletes to execute and perform to the highest level, and the event team will do a superb job in making all these people feel welcome and have an enjoyable stay when they compete here.

“We need the community to come out and show their support, show that track has been an important, lasting legacy of the city."

The EITC is part of the Edmonton Athletics Festival, which runs today (June 22) through June 29 and includes the Hershey’s Track and Field Games and Blue Mile Road Race. Log on to athleticsfestival.com for more information and to purchase tickets.